Unnecessary care common at end of life, international study finds

People dying naturally of old age often receive unnecessary end-of-life medical treatments in hospitals, a new global study finds (Source: “Elderly Patients Get Unnecessary End-of-Life Treatments,”HealthDay News, June 27, 2016).

The Australian-based research found that one-third of patients with advanced, irreversible chronic conditions were given treatments that didn't necessarily benefit them -- including admission to intensive care or chemotherapy -- in the last two weeks of their life. The study also revealed that one-quarter of older patients who had Do-Not-Resuscitate orders were still given CPR.

People with serious conditions were subjected to invasive procedures, unnecessary scans and blood tests, intensive heart monitoring and other treatments that did little to alter their outcomes, sometimes against their wishes, the researchers found.

"It is not unusual for family members to refuse to accept the fact that their loved one is naturally dying of old age and its associated complications, and so they pressure doctors to attempt heroic interventions," said study leader Dr. Magnolia Cardona-Morrell. She is with the University of New South Wales' Simpson Centre for Health Services Research.

As the population of older and frail people grows, doctors and caregivers must be able to better recognize when death is imminent and unavoidable, the researchers suggested. More training will help doctors lose their fear of a wrong prognosis and identify patients near the end of their lives, they added.